Drop in Osteoporosis Treatment Initiation After Hip Fracture

FRIDAY, July 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In recent years there have been low rates of osteoporosis treatment initiation after a hip fracture, according to research published in the July 20 issue of JAMA Network Open.

The researchers found that over the study period there was a continuous decline in post-hip-fracture osteoporosis medication initiation rates (9.8 percent in 2004 to 3.3 percent in 2015). The hospital preference instrumental variable had a stronger association with treatment than the other three instrumental variables (specialist access, calendar year, and geographic variation) during the effectiveness analyses. With osteoporosis treatment initiation there was a rate difference of 4.2 events per 100 person-years (compared with non-use) in subsequent fractures based on instrumental variable analysis with hospital preference.

“Low rates of osteoporosis treatment initiation after a hip fracture in recent years were observed,” the authors write. “Clinically meaningful reduction in subsequent nonvertebral fracture rates associated with treatment suggests that improving prescriber adherence to guidelines and patient adherence to prescribed regimens may result in notable public health benefit.”

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, which funded the study.